Airports Of Thailand (AOT) Steps Up Security At 6 Airports

[webfact]

AOT steps up security at 6 airports

BANGKOK, 4 April 2012 (NNT) – Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) has tightened security at 6 airports nationwide following a series of bomb blasts in Songkhla and Yala provinces.

AOT President Flying Officer Anirut Thanomkulbutra said that in light of the three bombings in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district and Yala province, security has been increased at six airports under AOT’s care, which consist of Suvarnabhumi, Don Muang, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai and Phuket International Airports.

Stricter checks on cabin luggage, hold baggage, unattended bags and vehicles entering the airport areas are being conducted. Parking is currently not allowed in front of passenger terminals.

Meanwhile, security at Hat Yai Airport remains at level three, which, Mr Anirut said, is in line with the current situation under the four-level security alert system.

AOT is also cooperating with police and army personnel in setting up checkpoints along the airport roads. Passenger pickups in front of terminals are also temporarily banned. Flying Officer Anirut said AOT will continue to monitor the situation and will adjust its security measures accordingly.

-- NNT 2012-04-04

[laurentbkk]

oh great ..... so now we should arrive at least 6 hours prior to departure ... security , immigration etc .... that was a joke of course ...

[Thai at Heart]

How reassuring. What about the other airports? So thailand doesnt have a unified security for airports.

[Jerrytheyoung]

The list of Airports should not be published. Should be "AOT has stepped security to most Thai Airports" without naming one, what about the others if something happens?.

[Lifer]

Great example of my last post. If there's no threat of insurgency and everythihng is well, why all the increased airport security. It would be nice if the people reporting this stuff in the news could just be honest and give the people the honest facts. I think the Thai people can deal with the truth. Happy Songkran!

Edited April 4, 2012 by Lifer

[americaninbangkok]

How reassuring. What about the other airports? So thailand doesnt have a unified security for airports.

No, it does not. AOT oversees the six airports listed above. The Thai Dept of Civil Aviation overseas the other 20+ airports in Thailand. Technically, the DCA should regulate the six AOT airports. But then again, the DPM for Security should not blame the Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel for causing the attacks. TIT.

[americaninbangkok]

On one hand you have Dep PM and Interior minister saying don’t be too vigorous on your inspections, as this may affect Tourism. Then you have the Army Chief stating that Thailand is fighting more than 3000 Muslim militants.

Now you have AOT stepping up security. What aren't they telling us.

Whatever they damned well want/want not to tell us. Those are the rules of the crazy game here.

"Do as we say, not as we do. Daddy will take care of you. Now be quiet and go about your day like an obedient smiling child. Sanuk!"

[Jerrytheyoung]

What is obvious is that in Thailand, everybody is talking as he (she) wants and there is no control of the Public relations. In western Countries and most of others, there is a discipline for officials: Administration, Government and Militaries (who are required to talk only when authorised.-if not they are dismissed)

This cacophonie is highly destructive in situations like the one resulting from the bombings.

It also handicaps any strategy.

[americaninbangkok]

What is obvious is that in Thailand, everybody is talking as he (she) wants and there is no control of the Public relations. In western Countries and most of others, there is a discipline for officials: Administration, Government and Militaries (who are required to talk only when authorised.-if not they are dismissed)

This cacophonie is highly destructive in situations like the one resulting from the bombings.

It also handicaps any strategy.

On the mark, Jerry! All the officials here who can get their mouths near a microphone or a reporter's ear just babble away whatever they feel like saying, with no accountability or coordination required. It leaves the general population confused and it leaves the politicians with an "out" when their prognostications (wild-ass guesses) don't come true. In most other countries, the underlings all need to coordinate their messaging with the big boss. And even Cabinet Ministers are underlings to the PM. But no one seems to have heard the expression "the buck stops here" in this town. Instead, the buck just gets passed.

[metisdead]

A post has been removed due to possible violation of copyright and non compliance of fair use. It is generally accepted, but not written into law, that quoting the first two or three sentences of an article and giving a link to the source is considered “fair use” and not a violation of copyright.

[bigbamboo]

What is obvious is that in Thailand, everybody is talking as he (she) wants and there is no control of the Public relations. In western Countries and most of others, there is a discipline for officials: Administration, Government and Militaries (who are required to talk only when authorised.-if not they are dismissed)

This cacophonie is highly destructive in situations like the one resulting from the bombings.

It also handicaps any strategy.

On the mark, Jerry! All the officials here who can get their mouths near a microphone or a reporter's ear just babble away whatever they feel like saying, with no accountability or coordination required. It leaves the general population confused and it leaves the politicians with an "out" when their prognostications (wild-ass guesses) don't come true. In most other countries, the underlings all need to coordinate their messaging with the big boss. And even Cabinet Ministers are underlings to the PM. But no one seems to have heard the expression "the buck stops here" in this town. Instead, the buck just gets passed.

Or the expression 'the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing'. As always it's best to rely on your own wits, not the half wits.

[PoodMaiDai]

I was at the Chiang Mai airport last night. Security is anything but stepped up. I parked my bike in a no parking zone right at an entrance door / drop off zone, and walked through the metal detector setting it off. They used a hand wand again but did not ask to see the item that set off the big detector that was in my pants. I went into the post office where I stayed for 30 minutes. No one said a word about my bike, which could have easily concealed a bomb that could have blown 1/2 of the front of the airport apart.

The harsh reality of "security" in Thailand is there really is none. There is the illusion of having security because a bunch of poorly trained soldiers are standing around with guns. They are not trained for this sort of thing. Period. These are the same people who use the GT200 bomb detector AFTER both the Thai and British government said they DON'T WORK.

There is but one real way to view Thailand, and that is everyone is on their own. And I am totally OK with that. Their version of security is beating up a falang who carries balloons onto the sky train. Had that same falang had a bomb in his back pack, he would have taken down the sky train.

You ever walk into the new Central Mall (the one across from Fortune Mall) from under the Subway? The metal detector is going off like CRAZY as 1000s of people walk through it, and they just wave everyone through. It's madness.

Like everything else here, it comes down to a lack of training / education. Until they are trained properly, you can forget "security" in Thailand unless you count the sleeping guard outside of your condo / village.

[mowgus]

Excellent reply PoodMaiDai.... I always find the metal detectors in the subways and malls laughable. I was walking through a subway metal detector with a large pack on my back and a small one in hand. The smiling guard passingly glanced into my small pack and didn't care that I had a 60 Litre pack on my back with who knows what in it. It's security to provide the illusion of safety...not to actually secure. And as much as most people bitch about security delays, I think we would all agree that, as long as we're all treated equally, we'd rather be delayed than blown up.

The thing I don't get is....what are they looking for? Were they tipped off about a threat? Do they think the insurgents would try and blow up a plane? Or do they think they are transporting explosives via air?